Virginia Tech assistant Grimes hired at LSU

Jeff Grimes will be LSU’s new offensive line coach, according to his former VT commitments. (blogs.roanoke.com)

Virginia Tech assistant Jeff Grimes has been hired as the offensive line coach at LSU, according to a tweet from a fellow Tech coach and other sources.

Shane Beamer, the son of VT head coach Frank Beamer, posted this congratulatory message to Grimes on Twitter on Wednesday: “Congrats to @coachgrimey on his move to LSU. Excited for him to get closer to his TX roots. Thanks for making our OL better this past year”

Grimes, 45, has been linked to the job for several days and emerged Tuesday as the leading candidate to replace Greg Studrawa, who “left” the school after seven seasons, the university said. Coachingsearch.com reported Wednesday that Grimes was offered the job.

Neither LSU or Virginia Tech has confirmed the hire. LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said the team is hoping to make an announcement on the new offensive line coach “as early as Friday.” The team will not comment on the process or candidates until then, he said.

Grimes is the Hokies offensive line coach and run game coordinator. He just completed his first season at VT. He was previously at Auburn from 2009-2012 and is a Texas native who played offensive tackle at UTEP.

Jeff Grimes spent four seasons at Auburn. (fca.org)

LSU interviewed at least three candidates for the job – McNeese State line coach Rob Sale, Grambling assistant Ben Wilkerson and Kevin Mawae – but those former LSU linemen were seen as long shots.

Grimes’ named has been linked to the LSU gig by three outlets over the last few days: 24/7 Sports, a Virginia radio station and coachingsearch.com.

Despite the recent reports, LSU coach Les Miles said Tuesday that he didn’t expect a hire for another “week to 10 days.”

Chris Patridge, the high school coach of Tech offensive line commit Billy Ray Mitchell, also confirmed the news of Grimes’ hiring.

“(Grimes) or someone from the school called today to tell (Mitchell),” said Patridge, coach at Paramus Catholic High in New Jersey.

Patridge called Grimes “a great coach and good guy who is going to do great things.”

Patridge said Mitchell told him last week that there was a “50 percent chance” that Grimes would leave for LSU. Several other Virginia Tech offensive line commits posted vague tweets on Wednesday of disappointment.

Tech’s rushing offense this season ranked 10th as Grimes took over a makeshift group.

Before his stints at Auburn and Virginia Tech, Grimes served as the offensive line or/and run game coordinator at five different schools in 11 years. They include Hardin-Simmons, Boise State, Arizona State, BYU and Colorado.

His most prominent run came at Auburn from 2009-12, where he was the offensive line coach under head coach Gene Chizik‘s for four seasons. Chizik was fired after the 2012 season. Cam Newton-led Auburn won the national championship in 2010, but the Tigers were 19-19 the other three seasons.

During his four years at Auburn, the Tigers rushing offenses ranked 13th, fifth, 31st and 80th.

Trooper Taylor was the receivers coach at Auburn for those four years. He calls Grimes a “good friend.” The two had adjacent offices during their first year on the Plains.

“To hear him teach was amazing, the way he was able to teach and coach,” Taylor said when reached Wednesday. “LSU fans will be excited about watching that offensive line.”

Taylor called Grimes a “really, really good recruiter.”

Grimes was influential in recruiting Thibodaux offensive guard Greg Robinson, who chose Auburn over in-state LSU among other major programs in 2011. Grimes was the “main difference” in getting Robinson to play out of state, Taylor said. Robinson is projected as a first round NFL draft pick this year.

“If he can get one to leave that’s 30 minutes from Baton Rouge,”Taylor said, “you’d think he could get one to stay there. Whatever kid he’s on in recruiting, LSU will always have a shot.”

Grimes coached two NFL draft picks and several all-conference players while at Auburn. Tackle Lee Ziemba was a consensus All-America selection and earned the Jacobs Trophy as the SEC’s best blocker before he was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round.

Guard Byron Isom was named second-team All-SEC and center Ryan Pugh earned third-team All-America honors. Following the 2011 season, tackle Brandon Mosley was selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft after earning All-SEC honors his senior season.

Grimes was a graduate assistant at Texas A&M and Rice. Grimes and his wife, Sheri, have four children: daughters Bailey and Jada and sons, Garrison and Greydon.

Grimes is the first coach to spend only one season on Frank Beamer’s staff since Gary Tranquill was OC/QB coach in 1994, according to The Roanoke Times.

Here’s a post from Grimes’ introductory press conference at Virginia Tech last year.

Ross began covering LSU football and baseball for The Advocate in November 2013. He has previously covered Missouri for The Columbia Tribune, Auburn for The Decatur Daily and Jackson State and high schools for The Clarion-Ledger.

Lawrence is currently a stringer and contributor to The Advocate. He is a senior at LSU, and he plans to graduate in May 2015. He previously worked at The Daily Reveille, where he primarily covered LSU football and baseball.